Apple reportedly will roll out a major refresh to its top-of-the-line iPhones in the fall that will see the addition of 5G and a re-design of two models with a slimmer, sleeker design. Sources said the company also plans to release a smaller, less expensive HomePod and an electronic finder technology to monitor the location of anything from keys to a purse.
Bloomberg reported early Monday that as many as four new iPhone models will include 5G technology with at least two of them re-designed with flat stainless steel edges and a flat-screen with no notch at the top of the screen, similar in design to Apple’s latest iPads…
This year’s successors to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be joined by two lower-end models to replace the iPhone 11. At least the two high-end devices will have flat stainless steel edges instead of the current curved design as well as more sharply rounded corners like the iPad Pro introduced in 2018 … the new handsets will have flat screens rather than the sloping edges on current models, said the people asking not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.
New iPhones
The rumors of new iPhones mirror reports from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that some of Apple’s 2020 iPhones will include a square-edged stainless steel frame.
The Bloomberg story also coincides with another report from last July of Apple phasing out the iPhone screen cutout – or notch-less – display, and add a 3D camera to the iPhone.
Recently leaked images emerged depicting an iPhone 12 with a smaller display notch compared to current models and a redesigned rear camera system. According to the Bloomberg report…
The upcoming iPhone Pro models will include three cameras on the back while the lower-end phones will continue to have two cameras, as with the current lineup.
As for when the new models will be released, Bloomberg reported…
Because of disruptions caused by the coronavirus … some of the new iPhones could be released multiple weeks later than normal, though still within the typical fall window, people familiar with the launch plans said. Apple hasn’t informed suppliers of any significant delays … and its engineers are expected to travel to China and finalize product designs in May.
This mention of production scheduling coincides with another report Monday by DigiTimes that “Apple’s assembly partners reportedly may defer volume production of 5G iPhones by at least one month amid high uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic…”
New Home Pod
Bloomberg’s report re-confirms various reports from 2018 of a smaller, cheaper HomePod “coming in the second half of 2020″…
Apple’s new HomePod speaker will be about half the size of the original while keeping a similar design, people familiar with its development said. The device has been in development for several months and faced delays…
Apple also plans on adding additional music services to the HomePod, the report said.
Since it was released in 2017, the original HomePod has been panned by many as being over-priced, and un-impressive to its competitors. While Consumers Reports said it was acoustically perfect, it criticized the HomePod’s bass as “a bit boomy and overemphasized” for the price.
While Apple has refused to report actual sales of the unit over the past two-plus years, it has been clear since its release that HomePod has not sold as well as the tech-giant had expected.
Apple Tags apparently reality
The story re-confirms rumors of Apple’s wireless electronic finder technology, known by many as “Apple Tags” …
The Apple Tags wireless accessory will offer functionality much like gadgets already on the market like Tile trackers, people familiar with the product said. It will be bundled with an Apple-designed leather sleeve and a keychain to attach it to objects … The thin, small, puck-shaped tags have been in development for over a year and are planned for release as early as this year.
Tile is a tiny Bluetooth tracker and easy-to-use app that locates a mobile phone, keys, and anything misplaced in seconds. Users attach a Tile to an item and locate it by sound, by seeing its last known location on a map, or by marking it as “lost” and getting an alert when it’s found.
More … Lots more
The story goes further in reporting that Apple is also working on a new version of the MacBook Pro, Apple TV (which hasn’t been updated for two-and-a-half years), refreshed budget iPads and a new iMac (which also hasn’t been revamped for over two years). It did not give time periods for the release of those products.
